The primary responsibility of this role is leading and managing international and U.S. federal government and commercial Bids/Proposals and other related BD Ops deliverables (e.g., ROM pricing estimates, RFI responses, and white papers) in support of Shield AI’s Europe/Africa (EURAF) Go To Market (GTM) team.
The ideal candidate will have leadership experience and possess excellent communication (technical writing experience preferred) and coordination skills to drive cross-functional collaboration across Shield AI product lines and geographic regions. The International Business Development Operations (Int’l BD Ops) team is seeking a candidate who thrives in a dynamic environment and is eager to join a rapidly scaling, nontraditional defence contractor.
What you'll do:
- Manage competing priorities across proposal and other deliverable (WPs, RFIs, ROMs, etc.) development in the fast-paced environment of the Int’l BD Ops team.
- Lead end-to-end proposal execution from pre-RFP planning through submission and closeout.
- Drive cross-functional proposal teams to deliver compliant, high-quality submissions on schedule.
- Continuously improve proposal processes, tools, templates, and best practices.
- Mentor proposal contributors and foster high-performing, collaborative teams.
- Support EUAF GTM team with briefing and presentation development for customer engagements.
- Support customer meetings, demonstrations, and GTM events as required.
- Provide additional support to BD Ops and GTM team leadership as needed.
What we're looking for:
- Confident team leader: Lead global proposal efforts, align stakeholders, and communicate key customer, market, and BD strategy insights.
- Strong communicator: Strong oral and written communication skills. (Technical writing experience preferred.) Strong presentation skills. Ability to communicate seamlessly at all levels of Shield AI and customer organizations
- Attention to detail in a fast-paced environment: Be rigorous and go fast is one of Shield AI’s leadership traits and, possibly, the most relevant one for BD Ops. Our ideal candidate must always work with efficiency and a keen attention to detail. Both are critical to supporting on time, compliant Bids/Proposals and related deliverables.
- Organization and time management: Strong organizational and time management skills enabling the tracking and execution of multiple workstreams with stakeholders across Shield AI.
- Extreme ownership: BD Ops serves as the primary cross-functional lead for Bids/Proposals across product lines and geographic regions. We manage the proposal lifecycle from start to finish including kickoff, collaboration with stakeholders, color reviews, and management reviews with senior leaders/executives. We are ultimately responsible for everything that does or does not happen in the Bid/Proposal process.
- Team-first mentality: The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to be flexible, work hard, hold themself and others to high standards, embrace teammates, and act with kindness.
Required qualifications:
- 4-6+ years of international government proposal development or BD operations experience.
- In lieu of direct government proposal experience, have 5+ years of experience working with U.S. Federal or International government requirements.
- Bachelor's degree in business, communication, marketing, engineering, or equivalent industry experience.
- Outstanding record of academic achievement.
- Experience with proposal methodologies (e.g. Shipley), compliance matrices, and implementing project management tools and processes.
- Proven record of leadership in a professional setting.
- Ability to communicate complex, technical ideas effectively – both orally and in writing.
- Ability to work collaboratively and flexibly as part of a team, embrace the startup environment.
- Ability to work effectively with people at all levels of an organization.
- Demonstrated record of hard work, trustworthiness, holding oneself and others to high standards, and being kind to others.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience managing Foreign Military Sale and Direct Commercial Sale bids/proposals.
- Strong technical background especially with unmanned/uncrewed systems and/or autonomy software.
- Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of military operations and Europe / Africa defence acquisition processes.
- Understanding of international markets/geopolitical trends in aerospace / defense industry.
Skills Required
- 4-6+ years of international government proposal development or BD operations experience
- Or 5+ years working with U.S. Federal or International government requirements
- Bachelor's degree in business, communication, marketing, engineering, or equivalent industry experience
- Outstanding record of academic achievement
- Experience with proposal methodologies (e.g., Shipley), compliance matrices, and implementing project management tools and processes
- Proven record of leadership in a professional setting
- Strong oral and written communication skills; ability to communicate complex technical ideas effectively
- Strong organization and time management; ability to track and execute multiple workstreams
- Ability to work collaboratively and flexibly as part of a team and with people at all levels
- Demonstrated record of hard work, trustworthiness, high standards, and kindness
- Experience managing Foreign Military Sale and Direct Commercial Sale bids/proposals
- Strong technical background with unmanned/uncrewed systems and/or autonomy software
- Knowledge of military operations and Europe/Africa defence acquisition processes
- Understanding of international markets/geopolitical trends in aerospace/defense
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials describe excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside a mental‑health EAP. Site perks such as an onsite gym in DC and a gym discount in San Diego support a health‑focused offering.
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Retirement Support — Careers materials highlight a 401(k) with company match as part of the standard package. A Total Rewards overview emphasizes retirement features within a broader, transparent compensation view.
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Career-Linked Recognition & Rewards — Compensation for in‑demand technical and senior go‑to‑market roles is described as competitive, with visible engineering ranges and top‑end packages. This points to meaningful upside tied to role, level, and scarce skills.
Shield AI Insights
What We Do
At Shield AI, you won't wait years to see your work reach the field. You'll build hardware and software that operates in the real world right now, in the hands of the people who depend on it. Hivemind, our AI pilot, has been flying since 2018. It has flown more than 30 platforms, including an F-16, and it now sits under a U.S. Air Force production contract for Collaborative Combat Aircraft. When you write code or shape a system here, you contribute to technology with a proven flight record and a clear production future. V-BAT flies intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions with an operational record that stretches from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific. It delivers eyes where they matter most, in the most demanding conditions on earth. The teams behind it watch their work get tested where the stakes are real. X-BAT takes its first flight this year. It's an AI-piloted fighter that needs no runway, built to operate where traditional aircraft can't. Join now and you help shape a program at its earliest, most formative stage. That's the kind of ground-floor work that defines a career. Do the most impactful work of your life, on problems that matter. Autonomy at this level asks a lot of you. You'll take on problems in perception, planning, and control that few teams anywhere are equipped to solve. You'll work across disciplines, from aerospace and robotics to machine learning and systems engineering, alongside people who hold themselves to an exacting standard and expect the same from you. Our mission is clear: protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. That purpose runs through every decision, every design review, and every deployment. It's why the work here carries a weight you can feel. Ready to join our mission? Explore our open roles and find where you fit.
Why Work With Us
Founded in 2015 by a former Navy SEAL, Shield AI builds AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft. Veterans aren't an afterthought here, they're at every level. It's why the work carries weight: AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft flying real missions, from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific, protecting service members and civilians.
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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
